After his request was rejected, Mingzhang returned to Chunyangzi's room, fell to his knees before his master, and tears streamed down his face.
"Master, I have never asked you for anything in my life. This time, it is truly my trial of love. I intend to leave the sect for a while; I must go and find Leng Qingqiu. Please, Master, grant me this."
"You may leave, but from this moment on, you are no longer my disciple!"
"Master, you always tell me to sever all ties and abandon desire, but are you not still obsessed with Fairy Mudan? Is your wandering across the world not also a quest to find her?"
"Mingzhang, do you dare to defy me? How dare you point fingers at your master's private affairs! Everything I do is for your own good! Lord Xiangliu is an Ancient Great Demon; you are nothing but a wild fox from Kunlun Mountain. What do you have to fight him with? Do you not realize that their bond is fated?"
"I do not know why my heart has already been stirred. I must marry Leng Qingqiu. Master, what must I do for you to allow me to descend the mountain?"
"Since you are so rebellious, I shall consider all the years I raised you to have been in vain. Go! Never speak of being my disciple again."
"Take care of your health, Master." Mingzhang kowtowed three times, turned, and walked away, tears falling from the corners of his eyes.
Goodbye, Baiyun Temple!
Mingzhang performed the Thousand-Mile Tracking Technique. He pulled a piece of yellow paper from his robes with strange symbols drawn upon it, followed by a small doll. He placed the doll on the ground and tapped it lightly with his finger, causing it to begin moving. Mingzhang then wrote Leng Qingqiu’s name on the talisman paper and attached it to the doll.
After doing this, Mingzhang set off, keeping a close watch on the doll's movements. When the doll stopped, he stopped as well. The doll seemed to be interested in a particular spot, circling it repeatedly.
To increase his speed, Mingzhang decided to reveal his true form as a Nine-Tailed Red Fox. He closed his eyes and chanted a spell. Before long, his body began to transform, growing nine red tails until he became a massive Nine-Tailed Red Fox.
The Nine-Tailed Red Fox was incredibly fast. It sprinted after the doll and soon arrived before a small grove of trees.
Under the shade of the trees, Lord Xiangliu sensed Mingzhang's Primordial Spirit drawing nearer and said to Leng Qingqiu, "Leng Qingqiu, come here."
Afraid that Lord Xiangliu intended to drain her blood again, Leng Qingqiu walked over slowly and replied, "Lord Xiangliu, what are your orders?"
"Come here!"
"Very well." Though she agreed, her body was honest, and she moved with the speed of a tortoise.
Lord Xiangliu, having long since read her thoughts, watched as his eyes shifted from blue to red. He said softly, "Come here, to me."
"As you wish, Master." A mere mortal, Leng Qingqiu stood before Lord Xiangliu, as docile as a puppet under the influence of his soul-capturing technique.
"Into my arms. Hold me tight."
"As you wish, Master." Leng Qingqiu obeyed instantly.
When the little fox Mingzhang came racing up, he witnessed a scene that shattered his heart: Leng Qingqiu was holding Lord Xiangliu tightly, while Lord Xiangliu, with a provocative air, gently kissed the corner of her mouth...
In that instant, Mingzhang felt as if his heart were tearing apart. An endless tide of anger, bitterness, and sorrow surged through him. He stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at everything unfolding before him.
The next moment, he transformed into his human form without hesitation, filled with rage, and tried to rush toward them, desperate to snatch Leng Qingqiu from Lord Xiangliu's embrace.
"Go away! Do not hurt my Master! I like Lord Xiangliu, so give up on this delusion!" Leng Qingqiu blurted out immediately.
Lord Xiangliu smirked and said, "Did you hear Lady Leng? She likes me. For her sake, I will let you leave. Otherwise, do not blame me for being discourteous—I could take your life in an instant! Get out!"
Mingzhang’s eyes were bloodshot, as if they might drip blood at any moment. He gritted his teeth so hard that the veins on his forehead bulged, trying to push back against the immense pressure weighing down on him, but it was useless. He was pinned firmly into the earth, unable to move a muscle. His face, once like white jade, was now deathly pale, drained of all color. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his white robes. Before this overwhelming pressure, he felt as insignificant as an ant facing an elephant, utterly powerless to resist.
He silently swore a vow in his heart: "If I can survive this and return, I will cultivate with all my might! I will become the most powerful existence in this world! I will ascend the throne of the Demon King! I will snatch Leng Qingqiu from that wretched man’s grasp and bring her back to my side!"
"Do not waste your time dreaming. You will forever crawl at my feet, you wild fox. Without Chunyangzi, you are even less of a match for me. If you want to kill me, come back after cultivating for a few thousand years. By then, Leng Qingqiu and I will have a house full of children. Hahahaha!"
In a flash, Lord Xiangliu vanished with Leng Qingqiu, as if they had never been there at all, not even leaving behind a trace of their scent.
Mingzhang stared in disbelief. He could not fathom what had just occurred; how could someone simply vanish before his eyes with such ease?
He stood there, stunned, his heart filled with doubt and confusion. What was the meaning of this? Lord Xiangliu had taken Leng Qingqiu right in front of him without killing him—there was no greater way to destroy a man’s spirit than this!
Mingzhang took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself. Perhaps this was retaliation for him holding Leng Qingqiu a few days ago, but everything was past the point of recovery. Now, his only path was to return to Kunlun Mountain, find his destiny, and cultivate diligently.
He slowly climbed to his feet, brushed the dust from his clothes, wiped the blood from his lips, and prepared to embark on a new journey. *Qingqiu, wait for me. We will meet again.*
"What happened? Why are we sitting on a White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle?" Leng Qingqiu asked, as if waking from a dream.
"I am taking you home. I know you miss home. Let us go back, check on your Small Thatched Cottage, and spend a few days living freely."
"Very well, Lord Xiangliu."
The sun began to dip toward the west, casting its final glow over the mirror-like surface of the lake, reflecting a brilliant, golden shimmer. In the distance, undulating, towering mountain peaks resembled sleeping dragons, winding their way across the earth.
The White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle spread its wide, powerful wings, carrying Lord Xiangliu and Leng Qingqiu through the beautiful sky. They crossed through the clouds, feeling the whistling wind and the breath of freedom. As time passed, they drew closer to home.
She knew she would soon return to that familiar place. At this moment, she felt immense happiness, as if all her struggles had passed and a beautiful future awaited her.
Lord Xiangliu sensed her joy and flew faster and more steadily, seeming just as eager to return to that home. In this moment, they leaned on each other, flying together toward that warm harbor.
*Leng Qingqiu, I never felt I had a home before, but now, wherever you are is paradise!*